Hortensia Marquez of Long Beach holds an American flag as she stands in the rain while her niece, Mariana Zambrano takes her photo following one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

That was Mimi Lou’s answer, delivered with a big smile, when asked why it was important to her to gain U.S. citizenship – a milestone she achieved on Thursday, March 21, with about 1,600 other people at three naturalization ceremonies in Anaheim.

Robert Joynt of Simi Valley waits in the rain for his wife, Sarah, to emerge from one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A group of 595 people take the Oath of Allegiance at the City National Grove in Anaheim during one of three naturalization ceremonies as the Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presides on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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The Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presides over a naturalization ceremony as 595 people gather at the City National Grove in Anaheim for one of three ceremonies on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A group of 595 people gather at the City National Grove in Anaheim for one of three naturalization ceremonies as the Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presides on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Families and friends wait in the rain for their loved ones after 595 people attend one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A group of 595 people gather at the City National Grove in Anaheim for one of three naturalization ceremonies as the Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presides on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Ghazal Hedayati of West Hills wipes tears from her eyes after taking Pledge of Allegiance along with 595 others during one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim as the Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presided on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Ghazal Hedayati of West Hills gets tears in her eyes as she takes the Pledge of Allegiance along with 595 others during one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim as the Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presided on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A group of 595 people take the Oath of Allegiance at the City National Grove in Anaheim during one of three naturalization ceremonies as the Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presides on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A woman holds an American flag as a group of 595 people gather at the City National Grove in Anaheim for one of three naturalization ceremonies as the Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presides on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A woman holds an American flag as a group of 595 people gather at the City National Grove in Anaheim for one of three naturalization ceremonies as the Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presides on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Families and friends wait in the rain for their loved ones after 595 people attend one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Families and friends wait in the rain for their loved ones after 595 people attend one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Families and friends wait in the rain for their loved ones after 595 people attend one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Honorable Douglas F. McCormick, the United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California, presides over a naturalization ceremony as 595 people gather at the City National Grove in Anaheim for one of three ceremonies on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hortensia Marquez of Long Beach holds an American flag as she stands in the rain while her niece, Mariana Zambrano takes her photo following one of three naturalization ceremonies held at the City National Grove in Anaheim on Thursday, March 21, 2019. More than 1600 people from 105 countries became U.S. citizens in the three ceremonies. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Lou, 47, is originally from China but has lived in the U.S. since 1999. She drove down from her Los Angeles home to be there, and rain outside City National Grove of Anaheim, where the event was held, didn’t dampen her enthusiasm.

As an American, “I can say anything I want, I can dream anything I want,” Lou said after the midday ceremony.

They came from 105 nations – more than half the countries of the world – but everyone who was naturalized Thursday followed the same process: They’re adults with green cards who have lived in the U.S. at least five years, they know some English and have passed a citizenship test, and finally, they’ve taken an oath of allegiance to their adopted homeland.

Before getting their citizenship certificates, they repeated the oath in hushed, solemn voices with right hands raised, prompted by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas F. McCormick. When it was over, some cheered and whooped, some cried, and some waved miniature American flags.

“Please take great pride in your backgrounds that you bring to your new nation, because America welcomes it all,” McCormick told them. “America draws its strength from around the globe.”

The number of people naturalized annually in the past decade hasn’t matched a 2008 peak of more than 1 million, but it has stayed fairly steady between 600,000 and 800,000 people per year. More than 18 million immigrants have become U.S. citizens in the past century.

For some, it’s a matter of convenience. Cirilo Salvano, 50, came to the U.S. 23 years ago for job opportunities.

Born in Peru, the Lancaster resident wanted to be able to vote and bring his family here.

“I feel excited, I feel happy. I have wanted for a long time” to be naturalized, Salvano said outside the Grove, where families clutching bouquets and cellphones huddled under umbrellas and waited for loved ones to emerge from the theater lobby with their official papers.

For others, citizenship was a necessity.

Carmen Manuel brought her 87-year-old mother, Lorna Yasay, to the ceremony. Manuel has been here since 2000, and as Yasay’s only child she brought her aging mother from the Philippines to live with her about 10 years ago.

Yasay went through the citizenship process to ensure they wouldn’t be separated, Manuel said, adding, “She loves it here, so I’m blessed.”

To Hortensia Marquez of Long Beach, becoming an American was a tribute.

When she was young, her father left the family in Mexico to find work up north and the family was separated for some time.

Now 36 and a teacher, Marquez said citizenship was important to her because, “I think just the struggles that my parents had to go through. I think I owed it to them.”

Alicia Robinson covers cities and local government for the Orange County Register. She has also reported at the Press-Enterprise in Riverside, the Daily Pilot in Costa Mesa, and at small daily and weekly papers in the midwest, before she became an honorary Californian based on hours spent in traffic. Besides government and policy, she's interested in animals both wild and domestic, people who try to make the world better, and how things work.